Updated – January 13, 2022 | New York
Academic Year Programming – September 2021 – May 2022

The Joffrey Ballet School studios and residence halls are designed to provide our community with safe in-person instruction as well as clean & healthy boarding. The following information represents an overview of the COVID-19-related safety and sanitation protocols we are following for on-site participation during the 2021 – 2022 academic year. Please note that New York City “Key to NYC” regulations require all students taking dance classes in New York City to be vaccinated in the following programs: Children and Youth Programming, Open Class Programming, and all Summer Programs. Key to NYC does not permit any medical or religious exemptions. No student is required to participate in any program or environment in which they are not comfortable. For those students, we do recommend considering our virtual programming option. COVID-19 policies for programs outside New York City may differ and may or may not require vaccination depending on local regulations. 

Children’s & Youth Division

• Key to NYC regulations require all dancers ages 12 and older to be fully vaccinated to attend in-person classes. JBS requires a booster dose upon eligibility.
• Key to NYC regulations require all dancers ages 5 and older to have one dose of COVID-19 vaccination to attend in-person classes. Full vaccination is required for ages 5 and older beginning 1/29/22.
• Multi-layer masks are required at all times within the building, including during all classes. N95, KN95, and N94 masks are recommended. Masks with valves are not permitted.
• A negative COVID-19 diagnostic test must be submitted for the start of the school year. A PCR test must be taken within 5 days of starting. Only PCR and RT-PCR tests are allowed for this initial test. 
• After this, monthly COVID-19 testing is required, regardless of vaccination status. If a dancer is a student in NYC Public Schools, a participating private or parochial school, you can submit the negative test results from your monthly school COVID-19 Testing. Otherwise, dancers must go to a testing site or medical provider for a COVID-19 diagnostic test, such as PCR or rapid/antigen. Additional testing and doctor clearance notes may be required due to contagious illness symptoms, suspected or confirmed close contact status, and performance participation.
• Health Screening must be honestly completed to enter the building. Failure to disclose illness or to properly/timely report symptoms could result in expulsion or removal from the program.
• To limit occupancy, guardian escorts are only permitted entry to assist those 5 and under for other School-approved escort needs.Guardian escorts must leave the premises once the student is checked in and may return only at the class end time.

NYC Trainee Division

• All dancers are required to be fully vaccinated, as well as receiving a booster dose upon eligibility.
• Multi-layer masks are required at all times within the building, including during all classes. N95, KN95, and N94 masks are recommended. Masks with valves are not permitted.
• A negative COVID-19 diagnostic test must be submitted for the start of each semester. A PCR result from testing within the 5 days prior OR a Rapid test result from testing within the 3 days prior is required to join onsite.
• After this, monthly COVID-19 testing is required. Dancers must go to a testing site or medical provider for a COVID-19 diagnostic test, such as PCR or rapid/antigen during their designated testing week each month. Additional testing and doctor clearance notes may be required due to contagious illness symptoms and/or suspected or confirmed close contact status. Additional testing and doctor clearance notes may be required due to contagious illness symptoms, suspected or confirmed close contact status, and performance participation.
• Health Screening must be honestly completed to enter the building. Failure to disclose illness or to properly/timely report symptoms could result in expulsion or removal from the program.

TX Trainee Division

• All dancers are required to be fully vaccinated, with approved exemptions permitted. Booster doses are strongly encouraged upon eligibility.
• Multi-layer masks are required at all times within the building, including during all classes. N95, KN95, and N94 masks are recommended. Masks with valves are not permitted.
• A negative COVID-19 diagnostic test must be submitted for the start of each semester. A PCR result from testing within the 5 days prior OR a Rapid test result from testing within the 3 days prior is required to join onsite.
• After this, monthly COVID-19 testing is required. Dancers must go to a testing site or medical provider for a COVID-19 diagnostic test, such as PCR or rapid/antigen during their designated testing week each month. Additional testing and doctor clearance notes may be required due to contagious illness symptoms and/or suspected or confirmed close contact status. Additional testing and doctor clearance notes may be required due to contagious illness symptoms, suspected or confirmed close contact status, and performance participation.
• Health Screening must be honestly completed to enter the building. Failure to disclose illness or to properly/timely report symptoms could result in expulsion or removal from the program.

Open Program

• Key to NYC regulations require all dancers to be fully vaccinated.
• Multi-layer masks are required at all times within the building, including during all classes. N95, KN95, and N94 masks are recommended. Masks with valves are not permitted.
• Health screening must be honestly completed to enter the building. Failure to disclose illness or to properly/timely report symptoms could result in expulsion or removal from the program.

All of our dance studios, restrooms, offices and common areas at Joffrey Ballet School are furnished with a HEPA Air Filtration system that is designed to filter pollution, bacteria and viruses, including COVID-19, out of the air. These advanced systems filter the entire air volume of a room five to seven times an hour. Aside from daily cleanings, we have also scheduled frequent disinfecting procedures that are performed before, during and after classes at the studio and residence hall.

All of our Hybrid / In-Person students have been placed in cohorts that will follow the same schedule. 

We are dedicated to promoting safety and have mandated practices at all of our locations that include social distancing in common areas and in the dance studios, and requirement of masks and PPE (when necessary).

New York City regulations continue to require JBS to follow a minimum of 10-day isolation for any individual who tests positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination or symptom status. This policy will be upheld whenever administratively feasible. Should New York City regulations change this policy will be reviewed for possible modifications. 

All fully vaccinated individuals and individuals who have received the booster who are close contacts will be required to isolate for 5 days and test negative on day 5 or later to return onsite the following day. Close contacts who are not fully vaccinated will be required to isolate for 10 days and test negative on day 10 or later to return onsite the following day.

Our Zero-Tolerance Contagious Illness Policy for onsite participation remains in-tact for contagious illness that is not COVID-19: All must be fever free for at least 72 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and free of contagious illness symptoms (other than possible lasting loss of taste/smell). After illness or close contact exposure, well-being and test results must be confirmed by 5pm ET on a dancing day to return onsite for the following dancing day. There are no same-day sick clearances.

The safety of our community is always of utmost importance, and we appreciate your support to keep our community safe. Our policies are subject to change as the situation and guidance of best practices evolve. We will continue to follow state and federal requirements, as well as referring to the best practice recommendations of Dance/USA Task Force on Dancer Health, World Health Organization, and more as we develop and maintain our School safety policies.